The Internet comprises a web of computers and networks, which are widely spread throughout the world. The Internet currently comprises millions of network connections, and is used by millions of people, such as for business, education, entertainment, and/or basic communication.
Digital content, such as sound recordings, e.g. songs, are often transferred across the Internet. In addition to the basic transfer of song files, numerous network enabled radio stations have been introduced, which provide content to listeners at computers across the Internet. Network enabled radio has significantly increased the magnitude and variety of content to recipients, as compared to conventional over-the-air radio broadcasts
While there are numerous Internet radio stations currently in operation, there are many technological shortcomings in the delivery of digital content to listeners. For example, buffering between songs, i.e. tracks, and even during tracks, is a common occurrence, which commonly diminishes the quality of a broadcast for listeners. As well, a short or long duration failure across the network, e.g. a blackout, results in the cessation of a music presentation, further diminishing the user experience.
As well, current content delivery systems do not offer sufficient flexibility and/or scalability for future network architectures and increased market demands. As the number of Internet radio stations increases to meet consumer demand, and as the number and variety of content recipients, i.e. listeners, increases, it will be necessary to provide substantial improvements in content delivery architectures.
Pull vs. Push Mod Is for Content Delivery. In content delivery systems which operate on a push distribution model, a source complex makes an outbound connection to a distribution point, and pushes data to the distribution point at a rate determined by the source complex. However, in a content delivery system which operates on a push distribution model, broadcasters are required to be aware of the network architecture. Therefore, every time a distribution point is added, the broadcast configuration is required to change, to make an outbound connection to the new distribution point. As well, the implementation of fail over and/or load balancing logic typically requires that a push system frequently reconfigure both the distribution points and the broadcaster hosts.
A pull model typically requires less buffering logic than a push model for the broadcaster, because the broadcaster just sends data obliviously, i.e. the distribution point is required to receive the data and feed a local buffer appropriately. In a content delivery system which operates on a pull distribution model, a distribution point initiates the connection with a broadcaster, and requests a desired stream identifier.
Several structures and methods have been described for the distribution of content in a network environment.
N. Dwek, Multimedia Content Delivery System and Method, U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,946, describes “A system and method for delivering multimedia content to computers over a computer network, such as the Internet, includes a novel media player which may be downloaded onto a user's personal computer. The media player includes a user interface which allows a listener to search an online database of media selections and build a custom playlist of exactly the music selections desired by the listener. The multimedia content delivery system delivers advertisements which remain visible on a user's computer display screen at all times when the application is open, for example, while music selections are being delivered to the user. The advertisements are displayed in a window which always remains on a topmost level of windows on the user's computer display screen, even if the user is executing one or more other programs with the computer.”
M. DeLorenzo, Multi-Room Entertainment System with In-Room Media Player, U.S. Pat. No.6,438,450, describes “A plurality of media data, including audio data or audio/video data, are stored in a central database. A plurality of in-room, user interface systems access the media data through a central server. The central server presents to the in-room system a selection menu through which at least one of the media data may be selected. Upon selection of a media data by the user interface, the central server accesses the selected media data from the central database and transmits it to the in-room system. The media data may be transmitted by downloading the data to an intermediate system, playing the media data at the intermediate system and outputting the played media data to the in-room system through a communications line. The media data may also be transmitted by streaming the media data to the in-room system through a communications line. The central server may present to the in-room system any of a number of additional menus including a purchase menu through which the selected media data may be purchased, an activation menu through which communication between the in-room system and the central server may be established for a period of time, a radio menu through which any of a plurality of programmed media-data channels may be accessed and a mood menu through which the brightness of the image displayed on the in-room system video monitor may be affected.”
Other structures and methods have been described for the distribution of content in a network environment, such as: Streaming Information Providing Method, European STREAM SOURCING CONTENT DELIVERY SYSTEM patent application Ser. No. 1187 423; O. Hodson, C. Perkins, and V. Hardman, Skew Detection and Compensation for Internet Audio Applications; 2000 IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo; 2000; C. Aurrecoechea, A. Campbell, and Linda Hauw, A Survey of Qos Architectures, Center for Telecommunication Research, Columbia University; S. Cen, C. Pu, R. Staehli, and J. Walpole, A Distributed Real-Time MPEG Video Audio Player, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology; N. Manouselis, P. Karampiperis, I. Vardiambasis, and A. Maras, Digital Audio Broadcasting Systems under a Qos Perspective, Telecommunications Laboratory, Technical University of Crete; Helix Universal Gateway Configuration Guide, RealNetworks Technical Blueprint Series; Jul. 21, 2002; Helix Universal Server from RealNetworks Helix Universal Gateway Helix Universal Server, www.realnetworks.com; Media Delivery and Windows Media Services 9 Series.
Other systems describe various details of audio distribution, streaming, and/or the transfer of content in a network environment, such as G. France and S. Lee, Method for Streaming Transmission of Compressed Music, U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,119; D. Marks, Group Communications Multiplexing System, U.S. Pat. No. 5,956,491; M. Abecassis, Integration of Music From a Personal Library with Real-Time Information, U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,340; J. Logan, D. Goessling, and C. Call, Audio Program Player Including a Dynamic Program Selection Controller, U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,076; E. Sitnik, Multichannel Audio Distribution System Having Portable Receivers, U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,880; M. Bowman-Amuah, Method For Providing Communication Services Over a Computer Network System, U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,163; H. Ando, S. Ito, H. Takahashi, H. Unno, and H. Sogabe, Information Recording Device and A Method of Recording Information by Setting the Recording Area Based on Contiguous Data Area, U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,037; P. Hunt and M. Bright, Method and Apparatus for Intelligent and Automatic Preference Detection of Media Content, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. Pat. No. 2002 0078056; G. Beyda and K. Balasubramanian, Hybrid Network Based Advertising System and Method, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. Pat. No. 2002 0082914; System and Method for Delivering Plural Advertisement Information on a Data Network, International Publication No. WO 02/063414; Method for Recording and/or Reproducing Data on/from Recording/Recorded Medium, Reproducing Apparatus, Recording Medium, Method for Recognizing Recording/Recorded Medium, and Method for Recording and/or Reproducing Data for Apparatus Using Recording/Recorded Medium, European Patent Application No. EP 1 178 487; Method and System for Securely Distributing Computer Software Products, European Patent Application No. EP 1 229 476; Information Transmission System, Information Transmission Method, Computer Program Storage Medium Where Information Transmission Program is Stored, European Patent Application No. EP 1 244 021; Digital Content Publication, European Patent Application No. EP 1 267 247; File and Content Management, European Patent Application No. EP 1 286 351; S. Takao; Y. Kiyoshi; W. Kazuhiro; E. Kohei. Packet Synchronization Recovery Circuit; Section: E, Section No. 1225, Vol. 16, No. 294, Pg. 120; Jun. 29, 1992; R. Sion, A. Elmagarmid, S. Prabhakar, and A. Rezgui, Challenges in Designing a Qos Aware Media Repository, Purdue University; Z. Chen, S. Tan, R. Campbell, and Y. Li, Real Time Video and Audio in the World Wide Web, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Content Networking with the Helix Platform, RealNetworks White Paper Series; Jul. 21, 2002; C. Hess, Media Streaming Protocol: An Adaptive Protocol for the Delivery of Audio and Video over the Internet, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1998; R. Koster, Design of a Multimedia Player with Advanced Qos Control, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Jan. 1997; C. Poellabauer and K. Schwan, Coordinated CPU and Event Scheduling for Distributed Multimedia Applications, College of Computing Georgia Institute of Technology, R. West, Computing Science Department Boston University; and Windows Media.
While some content delivery technologies describe the delivery of streamed content across a network, existing systems do not adequately provide a seamless delivery to a large number of recipients, nor do such technologies provide a “fail safe” seamless playback of content upon failure across the network.
It would be advantageous to provide a system and an associated method which provides a seamless delivery of songs to a large number of recipients, which provides a “fail safe” seamless playback of content upon failure across the network. The development of such a content delivery system would constitute a major technological advance.
It would also be advantageous to provide a system and an associated method which provides delivery of content as well as metadata to multiple distribution points, and has the capability of broadcasting content indefinitely, even if a database or content store fails. The development of such a content delivery system would constitute a major technological advance.